The activities of terrorist groups can extend far beyond the territories where they operate, threatening international security, disrupting economic activity and exposing countries thousands of miles away to the consequences of regional instability.
This was a key message at a symposium in Ghana on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, where diplomats, security specialists and other participants discussed shared threats facing the Middle East and Africa.
Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Roey Gilad, drew parallels between the security challenges facing Israel and those confronting countries in the Sahel, arguing that terrorism remains a common threat despite differences in geography.
“Terror is terror. Whether in Lebanon, in Gaza, or in the Sahel, it is the same challenge,” he stated.
The reach of terrorist activities often extends beyond the immediate areas of conflict, with consequences for regional stability, international trade and investor confidence. Disruptions to transport routes, commercial activities and critical infrastructure can transmit the economic costs of insecurity to markets far removed from the violence itself.
Insecurity along key trade routes can raise transportation and insurance costs, while attacks on infrastructure and prolonged instability can discourage investment and disrupt the movement of goods. Disruptions to critical shipping corridors can also affect supply chains and raise costs for businesses and consumers in distant markets.
In Africa, terrorist activities can weaken regional trade, divert public funds towards security operations and erode investor confidence. Violence in one country can also spill across borders, disrupting commercial links, displacing communities and forcing neighbouring governments to commit additional resources to security.
Ambassador Gilad’s remarks therefore pointed to a common challenge for countries in both regions: threats originating within one territory can generate consequences that extend across borders, requiring responses that go beyond individual national security efforts.
The symposium featured a panel moderated by Ambassador Gilad, with contributions from Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yosef Baidatz, a security and technological innovation expert; Hon. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee; and Kent Mensah, Chief Ghana Correspondent for The Africa Report.
The ambassador also acknowledged Ghana’s contribution to international peacekeeping, particularly through the service of Ghanaian personnel with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which operates along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The discussions reinforced the importance of cooperation among governments, security institutions and international partners in addressing violent extremism. Intelligence sharing, coordinated security operations and sustained diplomatic engagement remain important elements of efforts to prevent armed groups from exploiting gaps between national jurisdictions.
